Sound-producing device



L. J. GRUBMAN SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE Dec. 27, 1927.

Filed Jan. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 1 I INVENTOR Jmf 67111214105 ,KMATroRNEY Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,498

L. J. GRUBMAN SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE Filed Jan. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

I. INVENTOR Z60 .Z filrama'm KKM / WA ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT -or-Frcs LEO 1". G RUBM AH, OF BELLE HARBOR, NEW YORKpASSIGNOR '10 VOICES, INCOR- PORATED, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICE.

Application filed January 12, 1925. Serial No. 1,826.

air expelling member enclosed or contained within a casing or housing, means being provided for articulating the emission of the sound produced by said reed. This sound controlling or articulating means heretofore has been of two general types, namely, in the one case a relativelystationary apertured or valved control member intermittently interrupting the emission of the sound, or,

secondly, the air expelling member was provided with a pivoted valve piece to control the emission of sound from an orihce or opening, said valve piece being intermittent ly actuated by a relatively fixed element. Therefore, in both of these prior art types of voices, it will be noted that there is provided either a fixed valve means for controlling the soundemission, or a fixed actuating member for a movable sound emission controlling valve carried by the air expelling member.

' My present improvements more particularly involves a more or less radical departure from .these prior art sound emission controlling devices, and has for its primary object to provide a self-acting, independentlv mow ble means for governing the emission of the sound whereby it is properly articulated to simulate the spoken pronunciation of word syllables.

Further, I propose to provide such a sellacting sound emission control means which in turn is operatively controlled by the air expelling means and functions concurrently with the operation of said latter means.

It is another object otmy invention to so construct, mount and arrange the self-acting sound emission controlling means for co operation. with a sound emission orifice that the action of saidcontrol means is, to a certain extent, governed by the expulsion of air under pressure through the sound emission orifice.

In one practical embodii'nent of the invention, I provide the gravity movable air we pelling member with a sound emission passage. lhe self-acting emission controlling means is carried by said air expelling member. It is also oper'ableby gravity, independently of the gravity movement of said member to periodically restrict tllOGllllSSlOH of the sound through said passage.

It is another object of the. invention to provide a gravity movable air expelling member for such voice devices, which is of such construction that the parts thereot' ma-y be readily produced by simple mechanical operations, wiereby the mounting of the sounding reed and the gravity movable emission controlling means in cooperative relation with other parts of saidair expelling member will be greatly facilitated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved sound producing device and in the form, construction and arrangement t its several parts, which will be hereinafter more fully de scribed,, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated several practical embodiments of the 'invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through I a sound producing device, illustrating one embodiment of my improved sound emission c ontrollin means, said section being taken substantially on the line 11 of Figure 5,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the air expelling member at an intermediate position in its operative movement and the sound emission controlling means being also illustrated at an intermediate stage of its operation,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the air expelling member with the cap section removed, as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4- is a sectional view taken on the line 44l of Figure-'1,

-Figure 5 isa top plan view of the air expelling member with the cap sectionapplied,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of said air expelling member,

V Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an alternative construction of the device,

Figure 8 is an end elevation with the casing cover removed,

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 7 and Figure 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 101O of Figure 7.

In the illustration of my present improve ments in the accompanying drawings, I have shown the same applied to a familiar type of voice device, wherein the air receiving and compression chamber is enclosed within a suitable housing or casing. This casing may be of cylindrical or other desired form, and is most conveniently and inexpensively produced from a section of card board tubing, constituting the body wall. 5, the opposite ends of which are adapted to be closed by the metal heads 6 and 7 respectively. In the present instance, the conr pression chamber is in the form of a co lapsible bellows having a flexible cylindrical body wall 8, suitably fixed at one of its ends to one end of the casing wall 5 and having its other end edge permanently attached to the margin of a weighty air compressing and expelling member, generally indicated at 9. One wall of the outer casing, preferably the closure head 7 thereof, is provided with a plurality of suitably arranged sound emission openings 10 therein.

Referring now more particularly to Fig' ures 1 to 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the member 9 includes a body of disc shape form having a concentric cylindrical extension 11 projecting from one side thereof towards the casing head 7. This eXtension is formed with a diametrically reduced end portion 12 surrounded by the shoulder 13, the end face of said extension and the shoulder 13 being in the form of parallel helices, substantially as indicated in Figure 6 of the drawings. This body section of the air expelling member 9 is further provided with a central longitudinal here or opening 14; therethrough and the end face of the extension 12 is formed with a helical groove or channel 15 therein, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, which is of uniform depth throughout its length. In the bore or opening M a sounding reed 16 is suitably mounted, preferably in the outer end of said bore as shown in Figure at of the drawings.

, Upon the'extension 11 of the body section of the air expelling member 9, a cap section 17 is adapted to be fitted, said cap section being preferably of equal diameter to the extension 11 and having a projecting flange 18 atone end surrounding the end face 19, the end face 19 and the'end face of the flange 18 also describing parallel helices for close contacting engagement with the helical surfaces of the reduced end 12 and the shoulder 13 on the extension 11.

The face 19 of the cap section is formed with a helical channel 20 mating with the channel 15 in the extension 11 so that the two mating channels together provide a helically extending passage of substantially circular cross sectional form.

The cap section 17 is also provided with a central here or opening 21 therethroug'h which axially aligns with the bore 1-1. The outer end of the bore 21 is connected with the channel 20 at a transversely intermediate point thereof by the angular sound emmi sion duct or orifice 22, said duct; including .lll

In spaced relation to the egress end of the emission orifice 22, an outlet opening or pas-. sage 26 communicates with the channel 20, and is of gradually increasing width from its inner to its outer end which opens upon the end face of the cap section 17, as'shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Through this opening 26 the sound is finally emitted from the passage formed by the mating channels 15 and 20 and escapes through the emission opening 10 in the casing head 7.

For the purpose of controlling the emission of the sound from the orifice 24 and through the opening 26, I provide a selfacting gravity controlled means operating in the channels 15 and 20. As herein illustrated, this control means is preferably in the form of two freely rolling balls or spheres 27 of metal or other suitable material and of the same diameter. Between these control balls there is interposed a freely rolling spacing ball 28 of relatively small diameter. It will be noted that theupper portions of the balls extending above the channel 15 have their surfaces slightly spaced from the wall of the channel 20, as clearly seen in Figure 4t of the drawings, or, in other words, this channel wall has a transverse curvature eccentric to the periphery of the balls. In order to secure definitely accurate results in the operation of this sound emission control means, as will be presently desrzribed, the weight of the freely rolling balls and the degree of inclination of the l'ielically extending channels 15 and 20 should be directly proportionate to each other and to the vol.- ume of air contained within thebell'ows and the pressure developed in the gravity descent of the member 9 as the bellows collapses. In other words, each of these factors must be llu when the bellows or air chamber is in fiated by the gravity movement of the member 9 in one direction, and the device then inverted to the position shown in Figure l, the balls 27 and 2b occupy substantially the relative position shown in said Figure '1 in the helical passage formed by the channels 15 and 20. It will be understood that upon the inversion of the device, the reverse gravity movement of the member 9 occurs immediately to expel the air under pressure from the bellows chamber through the opening 14 and the reed 16, thereby producing sound which is expelled under the continuing pressure through the orifice 22. The egress end 24- of this orifice being contracted, the pressure is increased as the sound waves are emitted into the helical passage of the member 9. It will be noted that initially, the

lowermost ball 27 in said assa 'e occu )ies a I D I position in approximately opposed relation to the egress end of the orifice 22. As the bellows head or member 9 descends in the collapse of the flexible bellows wall 8, concurrently therewith, the balls 27 and 28 roll downwardly by gravity in the helical passage of said member. As the lowermostball 27 passes between the egress end of'the orifice 22and the end of the sound outlet opening 26, the sound passes in restricted volume between the upper peripheral surface of said ball 27 and the wall of the passage between the said orifice 22 and the opening 26, thus simulating the sound of the letterm. The balls 27, being spaced apart by the smaller ball 28, considerable.pressure accumulates in the space between these balls 27 and to a certain extent, the gravity rolling movement oi the other ball 27 atthe higher elevation is governed and retarded by this air pressure so that the proper period of time will elapse between the rolling movement of the lower ball 27 past the outlet 26 and the arrival of the other ball 27 in a position opposed to the egress end of the orifice 22. Thus, the lower ball 27 passes beyond the end of the outlet 26 slightly in advance of the time at which the other ball 27 is opposed to the orifice 22 so that sound in greater volume may pass through said outlet 26 from the space between said balls, and thus simulate the sounding of the letter a, completing the first syllable mac. When the second ball :27 is opposedto the orifice 22 and during its movement between said orifice and theoutlet 26, the volume of soundemitted throughsaid outlet is again restricted to simulate the letter m for a second time and after this ball 27 passes beyond the opening 26, sound in maximum volume is emittedthrough said opening to again sound .theletter aduri ng the remaining portionot the gravity descent of the member 9, whereby the sounding oi" the second syllable ma is completed. In

this manner, by means of gravity controlled seltacting means carried by themember 9 I andoperating concurrently with the gravity air expelling movement thereof, there; is produced a realistic simulation of the infant cry ma ma.

In Figures 7 to of the drawings, I illustrate an alternative embodiment of the device, wherein the gravity movable air expelling. member or bellows head 9 is in the form of a disc having an annular fiange 29 at its outer edge providing a recess as at 30,

in one side of said disc, which receives one end edge of the flexible bellows wall. A sheet metal plate 31 closes the open side of this recess and is provided at its periphery with a reversely bent flange 32, adapted to fit within the end oft-he cylindrical bellows wall and tightly clamp the edge thereof against the angular surfaces of the recess 30. This metal plate 31' at one side of its center is suitably stamped to provide a reed channel open at one of its ends and at the inner side thereof opposed to the bellows chamber, a vibratory sound producing element 34 being fixed to said plate and positioned over this inner open side of said channel. The space between-the plate 31 and the body wall of the member 9 provides-asound receiving chamber 31;

The member 9 is centrally formed with a short boss 35 against the end edge of which the plate 31 is engaged, said boss being provided with one or more sound passages 36. The member 9 is further provided centrally thereof with a relativelylong extension 37 projecting from its opposite side, the end of said extension being reduced in diameter and havingsuitably fixed thereon a disc 38 provided with a plurality of apertures 39 therein.

The boss 35 and the extension .37 are provided with an axially extending bore ll), said bore at the end of the extension .37 having a tapering or contracted section ll connected with a cylindrically reduced section L2. The i sound emission orifice 43 communicates with the outer end of the bore section 42.

Within the inner end of the bore and in spaced relation to the plate 3i, a plug 44 is snugly fitted, said plug having a central opening 45 therethrough tapering or flared at its opposite ends as at 46 to the periphery of said plug. Between this plug and the reduced end of the'bore 40, a crucitorn'i member 47 is arranged, the outer edges of the webs or flanges. of said member having snug, frictional contact with the wall of said bore.

The upper-and lower edgesoi thesewebs or flanges are reversely inclined, as at .48, so

that said webs gradually decrease in width ion from the inner ends to the outer ends thereof. A free gravity movable member 49 1s arranged within the bore 40 and controls the volume of the eotmd emission through the orifice 43. This member, is of such diameter, that it may pass between the flanges or webs of the member 47 and also through the opening 45 in thc'member 44, but cannot move throughthe passages 36, or through the orilice 43.

In the operation of this last described embodiment of the device, when the device is arranged in oneposition to cause the expansion of the bellows and the inflation of the air chamber, the member 49, which in the pre. ent instance, is .in the form of a ball, is seated over the inner end of the orifice 43 and closes the same, except when it may be lllOlllGlE tarily displaced by the ingress of air therethrough to the bellows chamber. When the device is reversed, to the position shown in Figure'i, the gravity'descent of the mem ber 9 eXpels air under pressure through the sounding reed, and the ball 49 at the same time moves downwardly by gravity. It will be noted that the section '42 of the bore or passage is of such diameter relative to the ball that sound may escape in restricted vols ume past said ball and through the orifice 43 to simulate the sound of the letter in. After the ball leaves the section 42 of said passage, it strikes upon'the upper end of the cruciform member 47 and drops downwardly between the spaced webs or flanges thereof. In this movement of the ball, the sound waves may pass in greater volume through said passage and the orifice 43 to simulate the sound of the letter a which completes the first syllable ma. In the continued downward movement of the ball, it passes through the opening 45 in the member 44 which likewise is of such diameter relative to said ball that the sound may only pass in restricted volume through said opening and being finally emitted through the orifice 43, again simulates the sound of the letter in hen the ball falls through the opening 45 and reaches a position. of rest on the plate 31, sound may then pass in maximum volume from the chamber 34 through passages 36 and opening 45 to the orifice 43, again sounding the letter a and con'ipleting the simulation of the second syllable ma. It will be understood that in this case likewise, the weight of the. member 9 and parts connected therewith is accurately determined with relation to the weight of the ball 49 so that the pressure of the expelled volume of air and its retarding etiect upon the gravity movement of the ball in addition to the members 44 and 47 which also interrupt and retard such movement, will produce the desired time relation between the simulated articulation of the word syllables. In the descent of the member 9, air "within the casing exterior to the bellows chamber may pass freely through the openings 59 of the disc 38 to avoid any cushioning effect by said disc andits cooperation witlrthe'wall of the housing or casing will prevent any substant-ial'lateral tilting movement of the member 9. V I

From the foregoing description, consid W in connection with the accompanying diurings, t'he construction and manner'of' operation of the several embodiments of my l be seen that in both cases, the sound i on controlling means, in its entirety, is carried by the grant movable air expelling member and is self-acting, or, in other words, requires no additional relatively fixed part for its eitcetive operation. This fun- 756,434. In the the proper timing in the articulation of the In' the present instance, howeve1 sound. the operation of the gravity movable sound articulating means is wholly independent presentimprovements will be understood. 5

patent, filed Degravity movable of any fixed part in addition to the air ex member and determined entirely by the mounting and arrangement of said control means andthe retarding influence thereon ofthe air pressure itself.

pelling loo - In the construction of my piiesent-improvements as last described, it will be observed that a casing or housing for the operative parts of the device of somewhat greater length than that shown in Figure 1' is necessary, and would perhaps be employed only "In ('()Il1l0('iil()ll with dolls of the'larger sizes. l l o'wtwer, in so far as practical operation is concerned, either of the described constructions will function in a satisfactory manner to produce the desired articulation of the FOHTHl in sin'iulation of the word syllables.

Althoughfor purposes of' illustration I have herein soecifically describedand illustrated two desirable embodiments ofv my invention, it is possible that comparatively satisfactory results may also be obtained by means of various other alternative struc tural forms thereof, and I accordingly reserve .the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. 7

I claim 1. In a sound producing device, an air chamber having an outlet passage, a sound ill producing reed and means for expelling, air under pressure from said chamber through the reed and said outlet passage, and a selfacting, freely mobile sound emission controlling element mounted for continuous movement in one direction with respect to the egress end of said passage and operating concurrently with tlie air expelling means to momentarily restrict the volume of sound emitted from said passage.

2. In a sound producing device, an air chamber having an outlet passage, a sound producing reed and means for expelling air under pressure from said chamber through the reed and said outlet passage, and a plurality of independent self-acting, freely mobile sound emission controlling elements mounted for movement across the. egress end of said passage and operating concurrently with the air expelling means to periodically vary the volume of sound emitted from said passage.

3. In a sound producing device, an air chamber having an outlet passage provided with ingress and egress openings, a sound producing reed in the ingress opening, means for expelling air under pressure from said chamber through the reed and said passage, and means mounted for 1 continuous gravity movement in' one direction across said ingress and egress openings and influenced by the expelled air to periodically vary the volume ofsound emitted from said passage.

4:. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber and having an air outlet passage, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled from said chamber into said passage,

and a self-acting freely mobile sound emission controlling element carried by said gravity movable member and having independent gravity movement across the egress end of said passage to momentarily restrict the volume of sound emitted from said passage.

5. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamher and having an air outlet passage, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled from said chamber through said passage, and a self-acting, freely mobile sound emission controlling means carried by said gravity movable member and mounted for continuous gravity movement across the egress end of said passage to periodically vary the volume of sound emitted from sai passage.

6'. In asound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber andfhav'ing an air outlet passage, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled from said chamber through said passage, and a self-acting, freely mobile sound emission controlling element carried by said gravity movable element mounted for continuous gravity movement acrossthe egress end of said passage and influenced by the pressure of air expelled from, said chamber to momentarilyrestrict the volume of sound emitted from said passage.

7. In a sound producing device, an air gravity movement across the agress end of said passage and influenced by the pressure of an expelled from said chamber to perlodically vary the volume ofsound emitted from said passage.

8. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, and an outlet passage in communlcati-on therewith, a sound producing reed, a

gravity movable member for expelling air under pressure through said reed and into said passage, and an additional, freely mobile gravity controlled means arranged in said passage for continuous movement across the egress end thereof and operating concurrently with the gravity movement of said air expelling member to momentarily restrict the volume of sound emitted from said passage. I I i 9. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and an outlet passage in communication therewith, a sound producing reed, a gravity movable member for expelling air under pressure through said reed and into said passage, and self-acting gravity controlled means arranged in said passage'and comprising spaced parts successively moving across the egress end of said passage and operating concurrently with the gravity movement of said air expelling member to periodically vary the volume of sound emitted from said passage,

10. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member having an ob,-

liquely inclined air outlet passage of substantially circular cross sectional form into which the air is expelled from said chamber through said reed, and a substantially spher- 1cal member confined in said passage for rolling, gravitymovement and cooperating with the egress" end of the passage in the air expelling movement of said member to momentarily restrict the emission of sound from said passage.

11. In a sound producing device, an air chamber having an outlet passage, a soundproducingreed, aWeighty gravity movable member "for expelling air from said chamber through the reed into said passage, and a plurality of structurally independent, selfacting sound emission controlling elements moving in succession across the egress end of said passage to restrict the volume of sound emitted from said passage at spaced intervals during the air expelling movement of said member.

112. In a, sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member having an air outlet passage into which the air is expelled by said member through said reed, and a plurality of structurally independent, self-act ing sound emission controlling elements carried by said member, and moving in succes sion across the egress end of said passage restrict the volume of soundemitted from said passage at spaced intervals during the air expelling movement of? said member.

13. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a'weighty gravity movable member having an air outlet passage into which air expelled by said member through said reed, and a plurality of structurally independent, self-acting sound emission controlling elements arranged in said passage and successively operating during the air expelling movement of said member and in opposition to the pressure influence of the air expelled through said passage to periodically vary the volume of sound emitted'from said passage.

14. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member having an air outlet passage into which air is expelled by said member through said reed, and a plurality of gravity movable independently actmg sound emission controlling elements arranged in said passage and operating in suc-- cession during the air exnelling movement of said member to periodically vary the volume of sound emitted from said passage.

15. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable n'iember having a helical air passage, and ingress and egress openings communi ailing therewith, and gravity movable means in said passage: (uicraling concurrently with the air expelling movement of said member to restrict the flow of air through said passage from said ingress to the egress opening 16. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member having a helical passage for the air and ingress and egress openings communicating therewith, and a plurality of spaced sound emission controlling elements movable by gravity in said helical passages concurrently with the air expelling movement of said member to pcnee oe riodically restrict the How of air through said passage from the ingress to the egress opening. V

17,111 a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber through the reed, said member having a helical sound receiving passage and spaced ingress and egress openings communicating therewith, a plurality of sound emission controlling elements arranged in said passage for gravity movement concurrently with the air expelling movement of said member, and said elements successively acting during such gravity movement to restrict the flow of sound through said passage from the ingress to the egress opening, and means in said passage spacing said sound emission controlling elements from each other. 2 V

18. In a sound producingdevice, an air chamber, a sound producingreed, aweighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber through the reed, said member having a helical sound receiving passage and spaced ingress and egress openings communicating therewith, a plurality of sound emission controlling elements arranged in said passage for gravity movement conciiirrently with the air expelling movement of said member, and said elements successively acting during such gravity movement to restrict thefiow of sound through said passage from the ingress to the egress opening, and an additional gravity movable member in said passage interposed between the sound emission controlling elements and spacing the same from each other. V

19. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber through the reed, said member having a helical sound receiving passage and spaced ingress and egress openings communicating therewith, a plurality of freely rolling gravity movable balls in said passage operating successively and concurrently with the airexpelling movement of said member to restrict the pass; of sound at spaced intervals 'tl'n'ough sainfpasfrom the ingress opening to the egress opening thereof, and an additional gravity movable ball of relatively small diameter arranged in said helical passage between the sound emission controlling balls and spacing the latter from eachother.

20. In a sound producing device, an air chamber, a sound producing reed, a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber through the reed, said member comprising two parts, each having a helical channel, said parts adapted to be superimposed with the channels mating with each other to form a helical passage, one of said parts having sound ingress and egress passage between the ingress and egress openopenings communicating with said passage, hips.

and gravity movable means confined be- In testimony that I claim the foregoing tween said parts Within said helical passage as my invention, I have signed my name and operating concurrently with the air eX- hereto.

pelling movement of said member to periodically restrict the flow of sound through said LEO J. GRUBMAN. 

